An Update on the Garland Campus
As we approach the end of summer and our brief season of rest, I give thanks to God for each of you who have made the difficult transition over the past six months. It's hard to believe that it has been six months since departing Guthrie Road and the Episcopal Church. God has been good during that time to provide for our needs and bless the work of our hands. Yet it has not been an easy road. I give thanks to God for each of you who have given so generously of your time, money and spiritual gifts to make our new church plant a success.
As we look to the future, there is still much work to be done. In the next few weeks, we will begin the expansion of our Broadway campus. This will include relocating our worship space, nursery and sacristy to the room adjacent to the foyer entrance, which is approximately 7,000 square feet. The current worship space will be converted into classrooms, a youth recreation space and a fellowship area. This expansion will allow us to accommodate more than twice the number of people currently attending worship services and give us much needed space for the growing Sunday school and nursery programs. You may also be pleased to know that we will be adding kneelers to all of the seats in the new sanctuary.
Once the expansion and renovations are complete, we will focus on two main goals: 1) Reaching out to our neighbors with the Good News through various evangelism initiatives and 2) Paying off the debt on the Miller Road property and continuing the development of a Master Plan for the Rowlett campus. Both of these goals are extremely important for our future and the growth of our church. I will be asking each of you to get involved in these efforts using your God-given gifts. The Evangelism Committee, under the able leadership of Fr. Jeff and Sheri Graham, has already begun planning ways to reach our neighbors and incorporate newcomers.
How soon we proceed with the Master Plan and building campaign will depend on how quickly we can pay off the remaining $475,000 due on the land as well as the funds needed for the renovations. Although we will have an organized and intentional fundraising campaign for this purpose, I am asking you to begin giving now, as we will need about $25,000 in cash for the renovation of the new worship space and classroom expansion, which we would like to complete as soon as possible. Stewardship is always an important element of the Christian life, but in our current circumstances where the scope of our ministry depends entirely on what you give week by week, every single dollar you give makes a huge difference. I trust and pray that you will continue to be faithful to the tithe (ten percent of your income) as the standard for biblical stewardship and that as you are able, you will give sacrificially over and above your tithe toward the debt reduction of the Miller Road property. The clergy and Board members of Holy Trinity are committed to this principle of giving and will lead the way as we move forward in raising funds, both for the land and for the new building.
Again, I want to give thanks to God for each of you, because you have clearly demonstrated your commitment to our Lord and to one another through this transition period. I am hopeful and excited about our future together, both as faithful witnesses to biblical truth in the Anglican Communion, and as a body of believers committed to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to "Go and Make Disciples of All Nations."
Thankfully and Joyfully Yours in Jesus,
Fr Lawrence +
